Original Title: The Mist
Year of Release: 2007
Genres: Horror; Thriller; Drama; Sci-Fi
Director: Frank Darabont
Writer: Frank Darabont; Stephen King (based on the novella)
Main Cast: Thomas Jane, Marcia Gay Harden, Laurie Holden, Toby Jones, Andre Braugher, William Sadler, Jeffrey DeMunn

01/40 of Hooptober 5.0: Unleash the Horror

I probably couldn't have asked for a better beginning for this year's Hooptober! The Mist is a film that I've been wanting to watch for a very long time, and now that I have seen it, it is even better than what I was expecting.

Plenty of people get trapped inside a supermarket, with a thick mist outside that is full of murderous creatures. The stakes keep getting higher, with people starting to turn on each other and giving in to their fears. A nihilistic view on humanity, told in a quite dark and believable way: in the hardest of times, selfishness and the worst of humankind surface. How religious fanaticism is handled is also quite commendable: instead of criticizing all the believers, it is those who are mentally unstable and nutty that are scary, taking the wrong messages from the wrong books of the Bible. One of the better examples of "the real monsters are the human" films out there.

That is not to say that the monsters aren't scary or threatening: from the moment they are introduced, they are mostly hidden away. The CGI isn't particularly polished, yet what sells it are the great performances by the entire cast (some of the best work by Jane and Holden), and the handheld cinematography makes for a more immersing and intense experience.

I loved every minute of the film, from the opening character-building moments, during the nail-biting supermarket scenes, till the very depressing climax. Before the film ended, my mom turned to me and said: "This can't end badly. I mean, it's a movie, they have to end well." Boy, was she disappointed. The ending was spoiled to me years ago, and it has become probably the most iconic and memorable aspect of the film. Just like many other parts, it is handled with care and the utmost humanity, leaving you heartbroken and emotionally beaten when the credits start rolling. A damn great horror film by arguably the best Stephen King filmmaker.

Story: 8.5
Directing: 9
Cinematography: 8
Acting: 8.5
Sound: 9
Visual Effects: 7

ENJOYMENT: 9.5
BORINGNESS: 1

PARENTAL GUIDANCE
Violence & Gore: 9
Sex & Nudity: 2
Drugs & Profanity: 3
Intensity & Horror: 7.5

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